IMF opens office in Leh
By The Magpie
Leh, Saturday, July 07, 2007
Indian Mountaineering Foundation (IMF) has opened its branch office in Leh for the convenience of local travel agents in getting the clearances for expeditions to Stok Kangri and adjacent peaks.
Air Vice Marshal (Retd.) P C Rautela, AVSM, SC, VSM formally inaugurated the one-room office spared by J&K Tourism Department of Leh to be run under the Everest Hero Sonam Wangyal. Local travel agents can now heave a sigh of relief as they no longer have to get the permits for expeditionsto abovementioned peaks from IMF office in New Delhi. Air Marshal Rautela said, with the opening the branch office at Leh, clearances can be procured locally and IMF has also reduced the clearance fee to Rs. 2000 per head to be charged from foreigners only. The opening of IMF Leh office has come about after a delegation comprising ALTOA members led by Thupstan Chhewang MP Ladakh met IMF, he said.
He said, IMF does the clearance on behalf of Ministry of Home Affairs and it had to take this step to regulate clearance norms in case of Stok Kangri on the bases of some complaints they received about ‘illegal’ expeditions being carried out here in Leh. He further said, by next year the IMF office in Leh will be very busy when 100 peaks in Ladakh will be opened for mountaineering expeditions. Air Marshal Rautela opined that mountaineering in Ladakh would be a unique attraction, however, he stressed upon having strict regulations and keeping the expeditions limited to prevent polluting of glaciers and damaging the flora.
He also promised that IMF would extend full support to Ladakh Mountaineering and Adventure Club (LMAC) and in a week or two this club would be affiliated to IMF. Later, Everest Hero Sonam Wangyal told that after conquering Everest on May 22, 1965 he was posted at Shey by ITBF, when setting up of such a club in Leh occurred to his mind. Later, LMAC was founded with Mr. Wangyal as the President and Sonam Wangyal Chotness, Sonam Paljor, Motup Kalon, E S Gergan, Urgain Lhundup, Dawa Saab, Tangay as the other founding members.
Giving his valuable tips for mountaineers aspiring to climb Stok Kangri Mr. Wangyal said, one should not just go and come back; it is a wonderful opportunity to catch the sight of almost all the popular peaks of Himalayas from the top of this peak. He corrected the name Stok Kangri as actually called Kang Lha Jal, meaning holy Kangrinpoche (Kailash mount) view. Expressing his opinion about the Ladakh’s potential in mountaineering, Mr. Wangyal told about how two young locals made it to 20160 feet without any equipment and rescued a lady tourist climber. He recommended that such outstanding feats and bravery should be rewarded in the form of commendation certificates from IMF. Later, Urgain Lhundup, Dyputy Director, Tourism revealed about the setting up of a mountaineering institute in Leh as one of projects to be taken up in the first phase of 15-crore sanctioned so far under Ladakh Development Project funded by Ministry of Tourism, Govt. of India. Among others present in the inaugural meeting were P T Kunzang V President ALTOA, Motup Kalon, Tangay, Aijaz and Motup Rimo.